Coach Ancelotti motivated by Madrid's Champions League record

Coach Ancelotti motivated by Madrid's Champions League record

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said it was a "special feeling" and an extra motivation knowing he is poised to become the first man to coach six different clubs in the Champions League.

The 54-year-old will eclipse Spaniard Rafa Benitez, Dutchman Ronald Koeman and Italian compatriot Claudio Ranieri, who have all coached five sides in Europe's elite club competition, when he takes charge of Real in Tuesday's Group B opener against Galatasaray in Istanbul.

"I have a special feeling about becoming the first man to coach six different sides because this is the most important competition in the world," Ancelotti told a news conference in Istanbul on Monday.

"It is also exciting because it will be my first match coaching Real Madrid (in Europe) and everyone knows we want to win the Cup although it will not be easy," he added.

"The fact that I will be involved in this is a fantastic motivation for me."

Image: Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and Gareth Bale take part in a training session at Turk Telekom Arena in IstanbulPhotographs: REUTERS/Murad Sezer

'We want to win the Cup although it will not be easy'

Ancelotti enjoyed a winning Champions League start with all his previous teams - Parma, Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea and Paris St Germain - and won the competition with Milan in 2003 and 2007.

He took over at Real from Portuguese Jose Mourinho at the end of last season, charged with securing the 10th European crown the big-spending Spanish giants have been chasing since their last triumph in 2002.

Tuesday's game is also likely to mark Gareth Bale's Champions League debut for Real after the Wales winger joined from Tottenham Hotspur for a world record fee of 100 million euros ($133.5 million) this month.

'Everyone in the team is focused on training well and winning'

Bale scored on his first appearance in La Liga in Saturday's 2-2 La Liga draw at Villarreal, when Real dropped their first points of the campaign.

Real's massive outlay on the 24-year-old, which broke the previous record of 94 million euros the club paid Manchester United for Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009, has prompted criticism in Spain, which is in the grip of a punishing recession and suffering from painfully high unemployment.

Ancelotti said he and the players were not distracted by transfer dealings and were focused on their jobs.

"I think the financial issues, the big transfers are stories for the newspapers and television but not for us," he said.

"Everyone in the team is focused on training well and winning, and nothing else."